Not that I disagree with the point about corporate profits, but wouldn't a pill containing the same chemical that helps certain conditions (be that THC, CBD or whathaveyou) be a safer alternative? I mean, let's not live in fantasy land here, smoking anything IS unhealthy.

Is this where I'm supposed to troll about how dangerous any smoke is ?

and that I'd sure love to support legalizing it but yeah... that smoke is so terrible, it's like battery acid being poured on a baby?Or maybe I allege that I do support legalization, but I solely came here to point out smoke is still bad... because there is a severe lack of captain farking obvious on this planet.

Letting big pharma take the reigns never ends up with people sick &/or dying from a "safe and approved" drug, right?

I've watched my mother go through stupid bullshiat that definitely has cut years off her life on this earth with our family because of an "approved" FDA drug. All FDA approved means these days is the proper bribes exchanged hands before you received your product.

I'll stick with ingesting the natural plant, free from other bullshiat, in whatever form I want including smoke.

Why?Because, this is Americaand fark you,that's why.

And because I truly believe that whatever radicals and carcinogens I'm ingesting along with the THC is likely still better for me than whatever might come out of a pill factory run by a dystopian global mega-corporation hell bent on repeat business.

/yeah, they'll give you your THC//along with 1000mg of tylenol to make sure you're back to purchase those liver and kidney drugs in 15-20 years

Psycoholic_Slag:fireclown: No, subby. This story isn't "big pharma gets richer", it is "medical marijuana advocates don't want medicine so much as they want to get high".

You say that like it's a bad thing. Thanks for looking out for my best interests.

I don't mean to. I favor full legalization for recreational use. But I have come to despise the artifice. Every time someone starts going on and on about the amazing medical powers (and total lack of negative effects) of Marijuana, they seem to be stoners. I just want some more honesty in the conversation.

nekom:vpb:Yes, but I thought there was a THC pill already on the market. Besides, for some medical conditions the hazard of smoking is kind of irrelevant.

Marinol, I believe. And I agree, in the case of a terminally ill patient, smoke away. But for an otherwise healthy person suffering from glaucoma, non-terminal cancer who need the appetite boost, etc. it's a bit safer. I support both medical and responsible recreational use among adults, but I can't say that smoking any substance is "safe".

Its my understanding that Marinol is only one compound (THC) extracted from the plant, the effects of ingesting/smoking actual marijuana are due to a combination of dozens of compounds, chief among them THC, but also numerous other canniboids. Not to mention if youre nauseous and vomiting from chemo, i dont know how you can be expected to keep a pill down. Yeah smoking anything is bad, but using a vaporizer reduces the nasty stuff by like 85%.

From Wiki:While there has never been a documented human fatality from overdosing on tetrahydrocannabinol or cannabis in its natural form,[87] Marinol can lead to death.[88]

Female cannabis plants contain more than 60 cannabinoids, including cannabidiol (CBD), thought to be the major anticonvulsant that helps multiple sclerosis patients;[89] and cannabichromene (CBC), an anti-inflammatory which may contribute to the pain-killing effect of cannabis.[90]

It takes over one hour for Marinol to reach full systemic effect,[91] compared to seconds or minutes for smoked or vaporized cannabis.[92] Some patients accustomed to inhaling just enough cannabis smoke to manage symptoms have complained of too-intense intoxication from Marinol's predetermined dosages. Many patients have said that Marinol produces a more acute psychedelic effect than cannabis, and it has been speculated that this disparity can be explained by the moderating effect of the many non-THC cannabinoids present in cannabis. For that reason, alternative THC-containing medications based on botanical extracts of the cannabis plant such as nabiximols are being developed. Mark Kleiman, director of the Drug Policy Analysis Program at UCLA's School of Public Affairs said of Marinol, "It wasn't any fun and made the user feel bad, so it could be approved without any fear that it would penetrate the recreational market, and then used as a club with which to beat back the advocates of whole cannabis as a medicine."[93]. United States federal law currently registers dronabinol as a Schedule III controlled substance, but all other cannabinoids remain Schedule I, excepting synthetics like nabilone.[94]

Its ridiculous that the anti pot folks are always like "Oooo, theres no medical benefits, medical marijuana is just a foot in the door for people who want to get high". Well A, so what, and 2, if theres no medicinal uses, why do they synthesize medicine from it?

nekom:Not that I disagree with the point about corporate profits, but wouldn't a pill containing the same chemical that helps certain conditions (be that THC, CBD or whathaveyou) be a safer alternative? I mean, let's not live in fantasy land here, smoking anything IS unhealthy.

No, this isn't true. Marijuana smoke does not cause cancer, heart disease or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Not a single case of any of these smoking related-disease has ever been linked to marijuana use. A few studies have found some minor airway changes in the lungs after years of heavy pot smoking, but these changes are fully reversible. Quite to the contrary, marijuana is a mild bronchodilator, which can help asthmatics breath easier without the cardiovascular side effects.

leviosaurus:I have a family member had chronic head pain as a result of a car accident. They used to give her all kinds of painkillers, many of which had horrible side effects (like screaming nightmares.) She had to take handfuls of those just to function. Now she just has a little pot, and everything's fine.

If you have never had a loved one in chronic pain, trust me when I say you would do ANYTHING to provide relief. I'd have fed her slices of my own skin if it would have helped. Medical pot is a godsend, and all you guys who oppose it can STFU and DIAF

I have a family member had chronic head pain as a result of a car accident. They used to give her all kinds of painkillers, many of which had horrible side effects (like screaming nightmares.) She had to take handfuls of those just to function. Now she just has a little pot, and everything's fine.

If you have never had a loved one in chronic pain, trust me when I say you would do ANYTHING to provide relief. I'd have fed her slices of my own skin if it would have helped. Medical pot is a godsend, and all you guys who oppose it can STFU and DIAF

fireclown:Psycoholic_Slag: fireclown: No, subby. This story isn't "big pharma gets richer", it is "medical marijuana advocates don't want medicine so much as they want to get high".

You say that like it's a bad thing. Thanks for looking out for my best interests.

I don't mean to. I favor full legalization for recreational use. But I have come to despise the artifice. Every time someone starts going on and on about the amazing medical powers (and total lack of negative effects) of Marijuana, they seem to be stoners. I just want some more honesty in the conversation.

Ohhh shut the fark up. You spout the same shiat every time "I'd be in favor of legalization if potheads would just admit it's for recreational use!" Well here you go: I want it legalized for recreational use. Unfortunately that hasn't worked very well in the past. By pushing its medicinal benefits (and don't argue about the medicinal benefits, you look stupid every time), we can at least get it pushed into a positive light and work from there.

I want some more honesty from you. You show up in damn near every MJ thread spouting the same shiat, while ignoring the farkers that do use it (or their friends/family) for the medicinal benefits. Why do you ignore all of their posts?

Oh, and I've noticed in this thread some people worrying about "Big Tobacco" getting ahold of cannabis.

I WANT tobacco companies to grow pot! I would probably buy from smaller, artisinal companies, like I did when I smoked tobacco. Go look at what's available in pipe tobacco or cigars or rolling tobacco - tremendous variety, low prices, expertise in growing and preparing the product. Big tobacco would probably produce a low quality, very cheap product, which wouldn't bother me at all - they might also produce an organic product, as American Spirit does (which is owned by Reynolds). I don't really care.

It would also be great fun to see big tobacco eating into big pharma's market. At least they know how to sell something cheaply, while pharma is very big on getting every last penny they can out of sick people.

fireclown:No, subby. This story isn't "big pharma gets richer", it is "medical marijuana advocates don't want medicine so much as they want to get high".

I've long admired your ability to miss the point entirely while sitting back with a smug look on your face like that "Study it out" grandma with her blue-blocker sunglasses.

"Big Pharma" has been fighting against marijuana for literally decades, claiming that it has zero medicinal value. But then they throw that argument out the window once they sense an opportunity to isolate and PATENT a marijuana derivative that they can sell for a government-protected profit. All this nattering about marijuana being a "gateway drug" gets trotted out by pharmaceutical companies, distilleries and RJ Reynolds, all of whom stand to lose hundreds of millions of dollars when (not "if") recreational marijuana becomes legal, and they're assisted in this endeavor by weak-minded people who feel a need to be protected from the monsters that live under their beds.

This. If you don't want to smoke a bowl, then get the munchies from your munchies.The "side effects" that they are trying to get rid of are mellowness, smiling, laughter, and a sense of relaxed well-being.

Smoking is fundamentally unhealthy and oral consumption is better for you.

Duh.

There's a few problems, though: Some people using medical marijuana can't hold down pills. They may prefer the immediate relief of smoking or vaporization, the easier self-titration, or even the shorter-lasting effects.

Medical marijuana patients may find that a given strain or combination of strains gives them an improved quality of life that can't be improved upon by a specific Big Pharma ingestable, even a crude drug 1:1 equivalent of the pot pills available in wide variety from their local dispensary.

...And let me get all hippy-dippy for a moment. I think everyone agrees that, at long last, the tide is turning for pot. As marijuana becomes more accepted and legal for both medicinal and recreational purposes, there will likely be corporations spending big lobbying money to control how Americans consume, procure, grow, and breed cannabis, with the goal of reducing the number of options that aren't theirs. Anybody concerned with the degree of power that the Real Money wields should probably be vigilant about Big Pharma, Big Tobacco, and Big Ag hi-jacking marijuana liberalization.

JackieRabbit:nekom: Not that I disagree with the point about corporate profits, but wouldn't a pill containing the same chemical that helps certain conditions (be that THC, CBD or whathaveyou) be a safer alternative? I mean, let's not live in fantasy land here, smoking anything IS unhealthy.

No, this isn't true. Marijuana smoke does not cause cancer, heart disease or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Not a single case of any of these smoking related-disease has ever been linked to marijuana use. A few studies have found some minor airway changes in the lungs after years of heavy pot smoking, but these changes are fully reversible. Quite to the contrary, marijuana is a mild bronchodilator, which can help asthmatics breath easier without the cardiovascular side effects.

Smoking it used to make my heart pound at an alarming rate, and make my ears ring. I was young so I ignored it, naturally. I wouldn't touch it now, if it were legal.

nekom:Not that I disagree with the point about corporate profits, but wouldn't a pill containing the same chemical that helps certain conditions (be that THC, CBD or whathaveyou) be a safer alternative? I mean, let's not live in fantasy land here, smoking anything IS unhealthy.

Many medicinal users opt to ingest, rather than inhale. This according to a provider in Montana I spoke with, YMMV. In fact, it was a majority of his customers that preferred it in an digestible form. He was, of course, talking about people that were seriously ill, and not people taking it for "anxiety".

So, if there are enantiomers of the active compounds present in the natural plant, or unidentified compounds that are active or act additively/synergistically, ingestion of preparations of real plants is still better than a pill.

/Nice try, big pharma//Why don't you get working on treatments for MRSA?

nekom:vpb:Yes, but I thought there was a THC pill already on the market. Besides, for some medical conditions the hazard of smoking is kind of irrelevant.

Marinol, I believe. And I agree, in the case of a terminally ill patient, smoke away. But for an otherwise healthy person suffering from glaucoma, non-terminal cancer who need the appetite boost, etc. it's a bit safer. I support both medical and responsible recreational use among adults, but I can't say that smoking any substance is "safe".

Anecdotally, Marino isn't as good at stimulating hunger and relieving pain as good ol' Sour Diesel. IIRC, it isn't prescribed for pain relief, or it wasn't when I had a work friend going through chemo. Then again, she liked to smoke up a bit before she got sick, so who knows? All I know is, marijuana shouldbe legal. There's no good, compelling rreason it shouldn't be.

nekom:. And I agree, in the case of a terminally ill patient, smoke away. But for an otherwise healthy person suffering from glaucoma, non-terminal cancer who need the appetite boost, etc. it's a bit safer. I support both medical and responsible recreational use among adults, but I can't say that smoking any substance is "safe".

Counter: If they are hvaing trouble keeping food down, how the fark is a pill going to help? They're going to throw that up too!

ZAZ:That's the risk of pretending medical marijuana is about medical marijuana. Somebody might take you at your word and produce medical marijuana.

For some, it is. I have known people who used it medically who would have never used it otherwise, and I can honestly affirm that it was a great help to them. Yes, there are those who also use it as a pretext for recreational use. I happen to support both, so this doesn't bother me at all, except maybe that it can serve to undermine the legitimate medical use in the court of public opinion.

Revek:If it exist, someone wants to have exclusive right to gouge you for it.

And they want legal protections from the government and they want the government to go after competitors, such as marijuana growers. And with any luck it'll be addictive and have tons of withdrawal side effects.

vpb:Yes, but I thought there was a THC pill already on the market. Besides, for some medical conditions the hazard of smoking is kind of irrelevant.

Marinol, I believe. And I agree, in the case of a terminally ill patient, smoke away. But for an otherwise healthy person suffering from glaucoma, non-terminal cancer who need the appetite boost, etc. it's a bit safer. I support both medical and responsible recreational use among adults, but I can't say that smoking any substance is "safe".

Jubeebee:My sympathies; it sounds like you had it much worse, and much longer than me, with whatever it is you have.

I've heard a lot of things, but they seem to be sticking to "components of fibromyalgia" now, which I think is doctor code for "fark if we know, but it involves a lot of nerve pain". That's what I thought about the "RSD, most likely" theory, too. I'm actually going in for a MRI tomorrow on my neck, as I did break it at one point in my life, along with many other parts of me. Still, you'd think all the other tests would have turned up something and it kind of makes me wonder what the point of stuffing me in that machine yet again just happens to be. Well, besides paying it off, if it's new. That's a lot of money for me, though. I'm considering just canceling it.

I did not get the mint flavor, but it could be the strain they used in the chocolate bars I buy. I know the strains have different smells to them, so they are obviously going to have different flavors. I did just look at the menu for my dispensary, and they actually sell a mint chocolate drink and a mint chocolate bar, so it's probably a common flavor profile for at least one strain. At least I HOPE whoever's cooking that stuff up has enough pride in their work to take the flavor profile of the strain into account.

lewismarktwo:So.. the only thing keeping cannabis from being an acceptable medicine is that it is grown by Big Worm instead of being manufactured by Big Pharma?

Wow, whodavfarkingthinkint?

No, the only thing that keeps it from being an acceptable medicine is the 80 years of misinformation, lies, cover-ups, propaganda and complete lack of legitimate research all due to the scientific facts getting in the way of politicians who would sooner eat shiat than admit they were wrong about something.

And that being what followed two decades of industries already full vested into cotton and wood trying to demonize the plant because it was a very real threat to specific corporations and magnates.

Presently addressing these mistakes is hindered because keeping it illegal (and by extension, keeping many people in for-profit prisons) is a multi-billion dollar endevour spreading across more industries than you can imagine and at the source is keeping the arrests and incarcerations ever-rising./shiat, it's better than slave labor, in 1820 you couldn't plant a small amount of a plant onto someone, slap them into shackles and sell them to the nearest plantation.

Wow, whodavfarkingthinkint?Oh..... right, history books and current events. I forgot about those. That's whodavfarkingthinkint.

Butter is SO easy to make. We make it with shake (or discarded sucker leaves and stalks). Basically take a piece of cheesecloth and fill it with enough grass so that it is about the size of a small (mini ?) watermelon).

Put 4 sticks (1 pound) of butter in the bottom of a crock pot.Put the cheesecloth filled with grass on the butter.Set it to a low tempLet the butter melt completely.Add 4 more sticks of butter on toplet these melt and let the whole thing simmer for about 8 - 12 hoursstrain the cheesecloth into the butterstrain the butterPut in small containeers and freeze or refridgerate

That's the sort of shiat that kept me living with untreated axial arthritis for 9 years. Yeah, I was totally faking the limp and back spasms.

You hit that point where you know it's not going to get any better, only worse, and when doctors won't listen, it's even more frustrating than just the pain and losing function of limbs. One of my legs suddenly quit responding and the pain hit record levels. I had to rely on the ER (no insurance) and it wasn't until I flipped out on them because my muscles had atrophied so badly in that leg that they figured there may indeed be an issue.

I STILL ended up just lurking outside the county health clinic and buying pain meds from the poor people for about a year, and got the use of my leg back by designing my own PT program at home. I am still very distrustful of medical personnel because of years of many of them minimizing and even insulting me for the combination of pain and "holy crap, this is not cool" I was going through at its peak. Having to go to a doctor monthly to refill a pill for something I could grow in the shed is not going to happen.

I'm still not entirely comfortable with the medical marijuana for myself, but it's been incredibly helpful. I also wake up with less stiffness and pain, not to mention I actually sleep for more than a couple hours at a time after I do use it (which is not daily, but close). I'm kind of sorry I wasn't first in line for the "pot paper" when it first became legal. I would have saved myself a whole lot of bad days. I think the whole "not comfy" thing is a lifetime of "marijuana bad", because there's no other reason I can think of for me not to be totally chill with it.

My sympathies; it sounds like you had it much worse, and much longer than me, with whatever it is you have.

I had gotten the brush off enough times that I just stopped going to doctors. Weight training, stretching, and 1200mg ibuprofen before bed every night kept me mobile enough most days. It took months of my girlfriend arguing that not everyone has back spasms every time they spend more than two consecutive hours in a chair before I finally went in and demanded an MRI.

Getting diagnosed changed my life. Cannabis is a secondary but important remedy for me; I only use it for flareups rather than daily maintenance. But it works better than ibuprofen at reducing inflammation and doesn't burn holes in my stomach.

The thing people are missing is by inhalation, the pain relief is nearly instant. A pill must be metabolized.You don't have to smoke it, you vaporize it. There's no carcinogens in vapor but there is in smoke, even pot smoke.

Kibbler:JackieRabbit: nekom: Not that I disagree with the point about corporate profits, but wouldn't a pill containing the same chemical that helps certain conditions (be that THC, CBD or whathaveyou) be a safer alternative? I mean, let's not live in fantasy land here, smoking anything IS unhealthy.

No, this isn't true. Marijuana smoke does not cause cancer, heart disease or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Not a single case of any of these smoking related-disease has ever been linked to marijuana use. A few studies have found some minor airway changes in the lungs after years of heavy pot smoking, but these changes are fully reversible. Quite to the contrary, marijuana is a mild bronchodilator, which can help asthmatics breath easier without the cardiovascular side effects.

Smoking it used to make my heart pound at an alarming rate, and make my ears ring. I was young so I ignored it, naturally. I wouldn't touch it now, if it were legal.

I think the stuff should be legal, but any drug has its dangers.

/flame away

I'm of the belief that D.A.R.E. should be outlawed and replaced with a comprehensive drug education program, one where the pros and cons of each drug are listed (instead of simply fear mongering, or pretending that certain substances can't have negative effects) and abstinence from said drugs is given as an option. More like a sexual education program as they are run in states that aren't full of mouth breathers.

nekom:Not that I disagree with the point about corporate profits, but wouldn't a pill containing the same chemical that helps certain conditions (be that THC, CBD or whathaveyou) be a safer alternative? I mean, let's not live in fantasy land here, smoking anything IS unhealthy.

That's mostly what I would use if I could, but the problem is, I've never really used marijuana in any form before, so it knocks me out. I'm sitting here looking at two dark chocolate bars laden with cannabis and thinking "mmmm...cookies", but I know if I do that, one cookie will mean being knocked on my chubby ass for the next 6-8 hours. I also am looking at a half ounce of Harlequin (high CBD, low psychoreactivity, doesn't make me AS drowsy) and I know that if I need it, I'll take one or two puffs and be peachy keen for a couple hours, at least. I'll also be less inclined to eat everything in sight, as apparently nomming on a chocolate bar with pot in it just makes me want more chocolate-y goodness.

Also, unless they're going to let us start buying the pills from the dispensary just like we do our chocolate bars, cannabutter and bud, then I'll bump into the same problem I had that made me switch from Vicodin to medical pot in the first place. Lots of doctors that don't want to give you pills because they think you're "too young" to have chronic pain, a lifetime of rowdiness not counting toward "things that can cause you significant, chronic pain when you're in your 40's", I guess.

I'll stick to the bud, especially since I lack health insurance AND I'm kind of figuring out my limit on Cannabis laced chocolate is about one quarter of a dose for other people.

Hear that, slightly rowdy middle aged stoner metal head type dudes? Cheap date, right here. Just lock up yer booze, because I will devastate huge swaths of your liquor cabinet in no time flat. Your pot, medical or otherwise, is most likely safe.

Rapmaster2000:I'm pretty sure that right now the "traditional" method for pain is by eating.

Tinctures are actually better than baked goods or other foods. You can get a much more controlled dose and it comes on much more quickly and doesn't last so long. Eating THC in foods can be really hit-or-miss, depending on what else you've eaten, how hydrated you are, how fast your metabolism is, etc. With a few drops of tincture, you get a much faster result that doesn't last nearly as long, it's much more controlled.

scottydoesntknow:fireclown: Psycoholic_Slag: fireclown: No, subby. This story isn't "big pharma gets richer", it is "medical marijuana advocates don't want medicine so much as they want to get high".

You say that like it's a bad thing. Thanks for looking out for my best interests.

I don't mean to. I favor full legalization for recreational use. But I have come to despise the artifice. Every time someone starts going on and on about the amazing medical powers (and total lack of negative effects) of Marijuana, they seem to be stoners. I just want some more honesty in the conversation.

Ohhh shut the fark up. You spout the same shiat every time "I'd be in favor of legalization if potheads would just admit it's for recreational use!" Well here you go: I want it legalized for recreational use. Unfortunately that hasn't worked very well in the past. By pushing its medicinal benefits (and don't argue about the medicinal benefits, you look stupid every time), we can at least get it pushed into a positive light and work from there.

I want some more honesty from you. You show up in damn near every MJ thread spouting the same shiat, while ignoring the farkers that do use it (or their friends/family) for the medicinal benefits. Why do you ignore all of their posts?

Somebody somewhere said marijuana never causes any problems and he just wants to address that this may be undermining marijuana legalization. He's just looking for the people that always do that to provide some honesty. He's just very, very concerned that these people may be using medicine as a ruse for drug legalization.

nekom:Not that I disagree with the point about corporate profits, but wouldn't a pill containing the same chemical that helps certain conditions (be that THC, CBD or whathaveyou) be a safer alternative? I mean, let's not live in fantasy land here, smoking anything IS unhealthy.

True, but inhaling a drug is the 2nd fastest most effective way to get it into your bloodstream. A needle is the fast, powder undeer the tongue is 3rd.

They can try to sell it all day, but legal weed will obliterate their business.

In any case, I've read about the THC pill, it has NOT been a big hit for a reason. It's much harder to control than smoking, the effects are much less pleasant and more debilitating, and it's not cheap either. There are tremendous advantages to whole-herb formulas, and in the near future, if things go well, it will be dirt cheap (even with high taxes - I can buy a pound of "pipe" tobacco for less than $20, and you can bet most of that is taxes).

The ONLY reason to use Marinol is because you can get it in states where pot is illegal. It's worthless.

Alphakronik:nekom: Not that I disagree with the point about corporate profits, but wouldn't a pill containing the same chemical that helps certain conditions (be that THC, CBD or whathaveyou) be a safer alternative? I mean, let's not live in fantasy land here, smoking anything IS unhealthy.

Citation needed (and be specific to cannabis).

You know as well as I do that there as many studies out there saying that it's perfectly safe as there are saying it's worse than tobacco. I don't believe either to be the case. I don't think it's any more harmful than tobacco at least, I'll give you that. And those who smoke it only once in awhile are mitigating the risk a lot. There are also alternatives to smoking it. I'm just not ready to call smoking ANY substance "perfectly safe". The same byproducts of combustion occur in marijuana as well as tobacco, though tobacco may be significantly worse due to so many additives.

I will say that I rate marijuana, in a big picture sense, as WAAAAAAAAAAAAY below tobacco in terms of harm to the individual as well as harm to society. Same goes for alcohol. It's just not as safe as breathing pure mountain air.

fireclown:Psycoholic_Slag: fireclown: No, subby. This story isn't "big pharma gets richer", it is "medical marijuana advocates don't want medicine so much as they want to get high".

You say that like it's a bad thing. Thanks for looking out for my best interests.

I don't mean to. I favor full legalization for recreational use. But I have come to despise the artifice. Every time someone starts going on and on about the amazing medical powers (and total lack of negative effects) of Marijuana, they seem to be stoners. I just want some more honesty in the conversation.

I hear you. I'm just as tired of hearing the opposite argument that weed is so dangerous that only a pharmaceutical company should be allowed to exploit and profit from it.

Mr. Right:If the proponents of medical marijuana (one of which I happen to be) are serious about using it for pain management, they will welcome this study, as smoking anything presents a risk to the lungs and other respiratory organs that tablets will avoid.

However, if governments and drug companies are serious about pain relief and not just controlling marijuana, they will acknowledge that some users, suffering from nausea, for example, will find a pill unacceptable and still need to smoke it.

We'll know the true motives of both sides by how this debate shapes up as research progresses.

Suggesting we don't already know the true motive of both sides is, at this point in the debate, high comedy.

If the proponents of medical marijuana (one of which I happen to be) are serious about using it for pain management, they will welcome this study, as smoking anything presents a risk to the lungs and other respiratory organs that tablets will avoid.

However, if governments and drug companies are serious about pain relief and not just controlling marijuana, they will acknowledge that some users, suffering from nausea, for example, will find a pill unacceptable and still need to smoke it.

We'll know the true motives of both sides by how this debate shapes up as research progresses.

Kibbler:JackieRabbit: nekom: Not that I disagree with the point about corporate profits, but wouldn't a pill containing the same chemical that helps certain conditions (be that THC, CBD or whathaveyou) be a safer alternative? I mean, let's not live in fantasy land here, smoking anything IS unhealthy.

No, this isn't true. Marijuana smoke does not cause cancer, heart disease or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Not a single case of any of these smoking related-disease has ever been linked to marijuana use. A few studies have found some minor airway changes in the lungs after years of heavy pot smoking, but these changes are fully reversible. Quite to the contrary, marijuana is a mild bronchodilator, which can help asthmatics breath easier without the cardiovascular side effects.

Smoking it used to make my heart pound at an alarming rate, and make my ears ring. I was young so I ignored it, naturally. I wouldn't touch it now, if it were legal.

I think the stuff should be legal, but any drug has its dangers.

/flame away

No need for flaming. MJ can increase the heart rate. This is because THC is a mild vasodilator. The blood vessels dilate, blood pressure falls a bit and the heart rate goes up to compensate. The side effect is more pronounced in some people and after smoking potent strains of the plant.

fireclown:No, subby. This story isn't "big pharma gets richer", it is "medical marijuana advocates don't want medicine so much as they want to get high".

See, there are two sides the marijuana prohibition argument. One side must work as hard as they can to find and cling to any shreds of factual information they can find or re-position in such as way as to lend credence to their position because the other side's primary tactic is to stick fingers in their ears, call them hippies and chant "NANANANANANA CAN'T HEAR YOU". The medical angle was very much just a foothold that was required to even begin a debate on the substance. Now that there is some traction the opposing side is slowly being pushed into a position where simply refusing to acknowledge the arugment isn't going to work anymore.

JackieRabbit:nekom: Not that I disagree with the point about corporate profits, but wouldn't a pill containing the same chemical that helps certain conditions (be that THC, CBD or whathaveyou) be a safer alternative? I mean, let's not live in fantasy land here, smoking anything IS unhealthy.

No, this isn't true. Marijuana smoke does not cause cancer, heart disease or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Not a single case of any of these smoking related-disease has ever been linked to marijuana use. A few studies have found some minor airway changes in the lungs after years of heavy pot smoking, but these changes are fully reversible. Quite to the contrary, marijuana is a mild bronchodilator, which can help asthmatics breath easier without the cardiovascular side effects.

Even if JackieRabbit wasn't correct, you could just use a vaporizer to eliminate any concerns with smoking.They are so mainstream now that Gizmodo and other gadget blogs regularly review them.

ZAZ:That's the risk of pretending medical marijuana is about medical marijuana. Somebody might take you at your word and produce medical marijuana.

Stop the madness :)

"However, the issue of whether to allow patients to use potentially addictive drugs (ones they find pleasurable) is a question for public policy" - I guess they might as well use those non-addictive painmeds like they oxys and whatnot. Nope, not potentially addictive.

ZAZ:That's the risk of pretending medical marijuana is about medical marijuana. Somebody might take you at your word and produce medical marijuana.

Right, because big Pharma is just going to take "the word" of the medical marijuana community. There was no science involved, and no testing to see if there really are medical benefits. They just decided to perpetuate the ruse.

nekom:Not that I disagree with the point about corporate profits, but wouldn't a pill containing the same chemical that helps certain conditions (be that THC, CBD or whathaveyou) be a safer alternative? I mean, let's not live in fantasy land here, smoking anything IS unhealthy.

Yes, but I thought there was a THC pill already on the market. Besides, for some medical conditions the hazard of smoking is kind of irrelevant.